Cutter for slicing cheese or the like



Jan. 20, 1959 N. P. UEBEL CUTTER FOR SLICING CHEESE OR THE LIKE INVENTOR. NORMAN F? UEBEL BY Z 6% 9 fifi Filed Dec. 20, 1956 United States Patent OfiFice 2,869,230 Patented Jan. 20,1959

CUTTER FOR SLICING CHEESE OR THE LIKE Norman P. Uebel, Bellevue, Ky. Application December 20, 1956, Serial No. 629,515 4 Claims. (Cl. 30-116) This invention relates to cutters, and more particularly to improved hand-manipulated cutting devices for slicing cheese and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a cutter having a one-piece handle and bow or harp member formed from a length of round stock, the free ends of which co-operatively grip end portions of a cutting wire in such fashion that the wire remains in a taut condition therebetween to limit spacing of the free ends of the handle-bow to a predetermined distance, assuring retention of a guide roll in cooperative engagement with the handle bow.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character in which the two symmetric integral sinuous portions forming the handle are adapted to co-operate with each other adjacent their junction with the bow arm portions to preclude movement of the handle portions out of coplanar relation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character in which the cutting wire is loaded in tension and co-operates with the bow arms adjacent the free ends thereof to urge the co-operating handle portions against each other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cheese cutter of the above character in which bearing surfaces are provided in the bow arms adapted to co-operatively receive mating portions of the guide roll without removing any metal in forming said bearing surfaces.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dent or depression in the handle opposite, facing and adapted to co-operatively receive a portion of an oppositely bent symmetric portion of the handle-bow to preclude relative displacement of these co-operating portions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a dent or depression in the stock during the preliminary stages of manufacture of the handle-bow, the form of which dent or depression is altered incidentally to desired shape during and by bending of the stock into completed form as a handle-bow.

The above and other features and objects of the invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of what presently appears to be the preferred form of embodiment of this invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a piece of stock partly formed in an intermediate stage of manufacture of a handle-bow;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a completely formed handle-bow, a portion thereof being broken away to more clearly show details of construction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken along the line 44 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the device illustrated in Fig. l, the portion thereof being indicated generally by the line 55.

The cutter or slicer, embodying the present invention,

shown in the drawing, comprises three general parts, the frame or handle-bow 10, cutter wire 11, and guide roll 12.

The handle-bow 10 may be formed from suitable wire or rod stock such as cold-rolled steel, or the like, which is relatively stiff and has some resiliency.

A straight length of such stock is bent into the symmetric form illustrated in Fig. 2, in which a pair of straight portions 14 and 15 are joined by the integral curved portion 16. As shown, a dent 17 is provided in straight portion 15. The dent or depression 17 is preferably formed by means of a punch or other suitable die and the wall thereof is preferably of conic form. As shown in Fig. 2, formation of dent or depression 17 in this way results in lateral bulging of straight portion 15 at 18 and 19, the bulging being most pronounced adjacent the edge or rim of the mouth of depression 17. The magnitude of the bulge decreases toward the point on the surface of straight portion 15 diametrally opposite depression 17. As shown, the depression 17 is opposite and faces straight portion 14, and may be made either while the material is in the form of a straight rod or when it has been formed to the V-shape condition illustrated in Fig. 2. The formation of the depression 17 when the handle-bow 10 has been formed to the state or condition illustrated in Fig. 2, facilitates its placement in a position opposite straight portion 14.

The completely formed handle-bow or frame 10, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, is mono-planar in that the center line of the rod stock after forming lies in a plane.

The handle-bow or handle-harp It) may be formed inany suitable manner. However, I prefer to form same by means of mechanical dies which sequentially form the blank, first bending curved portion 16 and then successive portions of the straight portions 14 and 15 from adjacent bent heel-end portion 16 toward the free ends of the portions 14 and 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the preferred form of handle-bow there illustrated, has a handle portion in which curved portion 16 joins converging portions 2% and 21 which extend to adjacent spaced, curved portions 22, 23, the latter portions having diverging portions remote from portions 20 and 21 and being joined respectively to oppositely curved portions 24, 25. Portions 24' and 25 are connected to sharply bent portions 26 and 27 which in turn are joined to the upper harp or how arms 28 and 29. The portions 16, 20, 21, 22 and 23 are adapted to be grasped in the hand while the portions 24 and 25 serve to provide a thumb or finger rest.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, the dent or depression 17, shown in Fig. 2, stretches or elongates incident to bending of portion 27 such that the dent 17 becomes groove-like depression 34) shown in Figs. 1, 3' and 5. The dent, or depression 17, when as originally formed (as shown in Fig. 2), has a conic wall, meeting the cylindrical surface of straight portion 15 in an edge near circular but somewhat oval in shape. The slightly oval-form edge of dent 17 has a major axis extending longitudinally of portion 15 and a minor axis extending transversely thereof.

The metal adjacent the outer or peripheral surface of curved or bent portion 27 is stretched incident to bending of same. Relatively little change is effected in the spacing of the lateral portions of the edge in which the wall of dent 17 and the surface of portion 15 meet. A substantial elongation does occur and the spacing of the points 31 and 32 of the edge is materially increased.

Thus the recess or depression 30 by bending of portion 27 is substantially altered to groove-like form, having a.

surface which approaches cylindricality and is oriented" parallel to a tangent to the surface of portion 27 at the ,j point closest to portion 26. The groove-like depression 30 in transverse section is near arcuate, of a radius less than the radius R of the surface of bent portion 26 adapted to cooperatively rest against portions thereof. When bent portipn 26 engages bent portion 27 particularly resting in double contacting relation upon the surface of depression 30, as shown in Fig. 5, displacement of portion 26 in the direction of arrow A, or arrow B relative to bent portion 27, is substantially resisted by mechanical co-operation augmented by the resiliency of the remainder of the handle portion, which, as formed, resiliently urges said parts into firmer mechanical cooperation.

The bow or harp portion of handle-bow 1'3 comprises a pair of bow arms, the upper portions of which are designated by the reference characters 28 and 29. Por-. tions 28, 29 extend in diverging and nearly opposite directions from the respective bent portions 26 and 27. Portions 28 and 29 also extend from portions 26 and 27 away from portion 16.

Before making elbow bends 33 and 34, a suitable die or punch may be used to form depressions or dents 35 and 36 adjacent but spaced from the free ends 48, 47 in forearm portions 43, 44 of the blank. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the dents are depressions of right frustoconic form having conic side walls 37, 38, and flat, circular end walls 39, 40. While the depth of the depression 17 in the illustrative embodiment may be equal to one-fifth (V) to one-quarter A) of the diameter of the rod stock, the depressions and 36, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, may be of a depth in excess of the radius of the rod stock. For this reason, the bow arms are bulged at 45, 46 in the vicinity of the depressions 35 and 36, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. Such formation of the depressions 35 and 36 effects rearrangement of the surrounding material and provides bearing surfaces 37 and 38 of greater area, while preserving the strength of the forearm portions 43, 44, by reason of the fact that no metal is removed in the formation of the bearing surfaces. The slots 41, 42 may be cut in the end portions of the stock blank either before or after elbow bends 33 and 34 are made. As shown, slots 41, 42 extend radially and longitudinally into the forearm portions 43, 44 and toward each other in aligned re lation. In making the bends 33 and 34 I prefer that they be so curved that the forearm portions 43, 44 in the completed blank as shown in Fig. 3, diverge slightly toward the free ends 47, 48 thereof when the bent portions 26 and 27 are in co-operative engagement, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Guide roll 12 has a right, cylindrical central portion 50 adjacent the ends of which are domed portions 51 and 52 from which frusto-conic stub shaft portions project axially. Only one of the frusto-conic stub shaft portions appears in the drawing, particularly in Fig. 4, where same is designated by the reference character 53. As shown in Fig. 4, the frusto-conic stub shaft portion 53 is adapted to be co-operatively received in the respective dent or depression 35 with the exterior frusto-conic surface of stub shaft 53 in co-operative engagement with the conic wall or bearing surface 37 of the depression 35. A similar stub shaft portion (not shown) projects from domed portion 52 and is adapted to co-operate in similar fashion with the wall 38 of dent 36. Roll 12, as shown, is a unitary member which may be fabricated from any suitable material, as for example, by turning from a single piece of wood stock, or by die-forming from a suitable moldable material, such as polystyrene, or the like. The length of the roll 12, that is, the axial dimension thereof, over the free ends of the frusto-conic stub shaft portions is preferably equal to or slightly less than the distance between faces 39 and 40 when the latter are parallel and the frusto-conic walls respectively adjacent thereto, namely, 37 and 38, are in co-axial alignrnent when the device is assembled, as illustrated in Fig. 1. However, as mentioned above, the frame or handlebow 10 when completely formed and ready for assembly with the other component parts of the device, has,

as illustrated in Fig. 3, the bend portions 26 and 27 thereof, in the relation illustrated most clearly. in Fig. 5, while the forearm portions 43 and 44 are non-parallel and spaced further apart adjacent ends 48 and 47 than adjacent elbow bends 33 and 34. I prefer to form the handle-bow member in this fashion, it has several advantages, one of which is that it permits easy insertion of roll 12 incident to assembly. That is, the one frustoconic end stub shaft portion is inserted into the respective dent 36 and the roll is then moved'into position with its stub shaft portion 53 in alignment with the depression 35, and the forearms 43, 44 at their ends 48 and 47 are subjected to forces moving them toward each other and toward parallelism until the frusto-conic stub shaft portions are" firmly seated in snug engagement with the co-operative bearing surfaces provided in the forearm portions 43 and 44.

A cutter wire 11 is secured to the arms to complete the assembly, as illustrated in Fig. l. A portion adjacent one end of the cutter wire 11 may be inserted in one of the slots 41 and 42. For example, it may be inserted in slot 42, preferably resting against the bottom slot face 55, the adjacent end thereof being completely received within the slot 42. Thereafter, portion 56 of the forearm 44 is crushed or mashed to substantially close the slot, as shown in Fig. 1, to secure cutter wire 11 to forearm 44. The wire 11 is then stretched tautly to and through slot 41 and a portion thereof is secured in that slot in similar fashion, namely, by mashing or squeezing portion 57 of forearm 43. Installation of the cutter wire 11 in stressed or taut condition while the forearms 43 and 44 are pressed snugly against the stub shaft portions of roll 12 assures maximum tension in the wire as bent portions 26 and 27 co-operate in a fashion which might be referred to as a lever fulcrum manner. The portions of the handle to the right of portions 26 and 27, as shown in Fig. 3, and including portion 16, are urged to bow away from each other. These portions resiliently resist such forces and provide resilient resistance to movement of forearm portions 43, 44 in the assembly operation. When the forces urging forearm portions 43 and 44 into snug engagement with roll 12 are terminated, forearm portions 43 and 44 by reason of the resiliency inherent therein and the resilient forces applied by the handle portions shown to the right of bend portions 26 and 27 in Fig. 3, move into slightly greater spaced relationship releasing roll 12 for relatively free turning about its axis in co-operative relation with the bearing surfaces or walls 37, 38, while simultaneously increasing the tension load upon cutter wire 11.

It should be noted that the assembly of the parts, as above described, produces an increased compression load upon the co-operative surface portions of bend portions 26 and 27. Such increased compression load increases the resistance to movement of portion 26 in the direction of arrow A or arrow B relative to portion 27. Simultaneously the pre-tensioning or load upon the cutter wire 11 is substantially greater than that which could'be applied if the groove or recess 30 were not provided.

. The slicer illustrated in Fig. 1 may be used to slice cheese and the like, in slices of various thicknesses as desired up to a thickness equal to the spacing of cutter wire 11 from the cylindrical surface of portion 50 of roll 12, the thickness of the slice cut being determined by the angle of inclination of the handle-bow or frame member 16 relative to the plane of slicing in which cutter wire 11 is moved. The plane of slicing being parallel to the plane or face engaged by roll 12.

The device illustrated in the drawing and described above presently appears to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, but is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A slice cutter for cheese and the like comprising a cutter and a resilient unitary frame, said frame having a handle portion and a pair of harp-forming arm portions, the handle portion of said frame having a curved end portion from which longitudinal portions extend into co-operative abutment adjacent respectively to each of the pair of harp-forming arm portions, one of said longitudinal portions having a depression therein to cooperatively receive an abutting portion of the other longitudinal portion urged thereagainst by their resiliency, the cutter member spanning the space between and being secured to said harp arm portions in spaced relation to said handle portion, the cutter being loaded in tension and the harp arms being stressed by the cutter to urge the co-operatively abutting portions of the longitudinal handle portions more firmly together.

2. A slice cutter for cheese and the like comprising a unitary resilient frame member having a handle portion and a pair of spaced harp-forming arms, a guide roll journaled for rotation in co-operative relation to said arms, and a cutter wire secured to said arms in spaced parallel relation to said roll, said handle portion having a bent end portion joining a pair of longitudinal portions which extend in converging relation lengthwise of the handle portion of said member to the pair of harp-forming arm portions, said portions extending laterally and forwardly, one of said longitudinal portions having a recess therein adjacent said arm portion and facing the other of said longitudinal portions for receiving and co-operating with a portion thereof, said longitudinal portions being resiliently urged into co-operating rocking relation by said end portion of said handle, said arm portions having forwardly extending forearm portions thereof remote from the handle and extending in diverging relation, said forearm portions adapted to securely engage the ends of said cutter Wire, each of said forearm portions having a respective one of a pair of opposed frusto-conical recesses therein, the guide roll having a cylindrical central portion and frusto-conic end portions, the end portions being co-operatively received in the frusto-conic recesses when the forearm portions are secured in parallel relation by the cutter wire, the latter being loaded in tension by the said forearm portions, and the handle portion being further stressed to secure the longitudinal portions in abutment by the cooperation of the cutter wire and frame whereby the guide roll is journaled for free rotation about an axis in spaced parallel relation to said cutter wire.

3. A slice cutter for cheese and the like comprising a unitary frame comprising a harp and a handle and a cutter wire, the handle portion of said frame having a bent end portion joining spaced corresponding ends of a pair of longitudinal portions extending convergingly lengthwise of the handle portion to a pair of laterally and forwardly extending L-shaped harp-forming arm portions, one of said longitudinal portions having a recess therein adjacent its harp-forming arm portion, said recess facing the other of said longitudinal portions for receiving and cooperating with a portion thereof, said longitudinal portions being resiliently urged into such cooperating engagement by the end portion of said handle, said forwardly extending portions of the L-shaped harpforming arm portions extending indiverging relation to end portions remote from the handle portion, said end portions being secured to ends of the cutter wire, said cutter wire being supported and loaded in tension by the arms and securing the end portions thereof in more closely spaced relation to stress the arms, thereby urging the longitudinal handle portions into firmer abutting cooperation.

4. A slice cutter for cheese and the like, comprising a unitary frame member having a handle portion and a pair of spaced harp-forming arms, a guide roll journaled for rotation in co-operative relation to said arms, and a cutter wire secured to said arms in spaced parallel relation to said roll, said handle portion having a bent end portion joining a pair of longitudinal portions extending in converging relation lengthwise of the handle portion of said member to a pair of laterally and forwardly extending L-shaped harp-forming arm portions, one of said longitudinal portions having a recess therein adjacent its arm portion and facing the other of said longitudinal portions for receiving and co-operating with a portion thereof, said longitudinal portions being resiliently urged into co-operating relation by said end portion of said handle, said L-shaped arm portions having the forwardly extending forearm portions thereof remote from the bandle extending in diverging relation to free end portions adapted to securely engage end portions of said cutter wire, each of said forearm portions having one of a pair of opposed frusto-conic recesses therein, the guide roll having a cylindrical central portion and frusto-conic end portions, the end portions being co-operatively received in the frusto-conic recesses when the forearm portions are secured in parallel relation by the cutter wire which is loaded in tension by the said forearm portions and the longitudinal handle portions being further stressed to secure the longitudinal portions in abutment by the co-operation of the cutter and frame whereby the guide roll is journaled for free rotation about an axis in spaced parallel relation to said cutter wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,734 Hamill Mar. 30, 1886 2,149,981 Pederson Mar. 7, 1939 2,238,186 Pederson Apr. 15, 1941 2,581,848 Ettl Jan. 8, 1952 2,800,714 Evans July 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 472,594 Canada Apr. 3, 1951 

